Dave and Lillian Brummet offer tips, interviews and resources to inspire hope in individuals; helping them realize the value of their efforts, encouraging them to become more positive, proactive in life.

I read in a Japan For Sustainability Newsletter (japanfs.org) that the Nihon Kotsu Co. - one of the top taxi services in Tokyo, experimented with electric powered vehicles in their fleet this year, in cooperation with Better Place (betterplace.com). This project allowed drivers to replace the rechargable batteries in "about one minute", reducing wasted time (such as at gas stations). The trial project allowed the industry to test out the logistics of changing over to electric power and the financial impact of switching over the entire fleet.

This exciting test project may just influence the world's leading taxi services to switch over to electric powered vehicles in their fleet. Imagine the impact that this could have when just one large city (like Tokyo) hosts 50,000 taxi vehicles or more.

-- Conscious Discussions Radio --

Today's featured guest on the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show is Master Scuba Diver Trainer, and Founder of the Reef Rescue Foundation (ReefRescueFoundation.com) - Dirk Beckman. Dirk currently holds the position of Executive Project Director in that foundation, as such he'll be able to share information about the work they do. He also has over 25 years experience in the field of Environmental Technology... So we have a lot to discuss today from the preservation of existing reefs and creating artificial ones, to cleaning water-ways. To access today's live show (airs at 10-11 AM, Pacific) click on the show title:Reef Rescue Foundation

As always, our broadcasts are archived and made available for anyone to listen to at their convenience - however if you are able to join in the live show you can also access the live chat room and interact with us and some of our other listeners. :)

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

We have Alysa Braceau, who writes as "Dreamshield", with us today to share some information on what conscious dreaming is all about. Alysa lives in the Netherlands; she is a mother, freelance journalist and publisher - with a strong passion for social work, health and writing. She tells me that she has a healing practice and gives workshops about the Art of Dreaming. Dreamshield's debut book, The Sorcerer's Dream, is now available for readers to claim a copy of their very own. You can read the first chapter (and learn more about the author) via: www.dreamshield.nl -- Alysa wanted to let you know that there is a contest going on right now on her site, offering a chance to win a copy of the book. Alysa invites you to "...type in 'Book Giveaway' in the question area and you will be entered in the drawing on Oct 30 (2010)." Today, she will be sharing information on how to dream consciously:

Travel with your dream body - Learn to dream consciously

Conscious (lucid) dreaming gives you a great feeling. If you dream consciously (dreaming while being aware that you are dreaming), you have control over events. Or at least the realization that you can control the situation. There will be a day that you can instruct yourself to dream about something; to fly like a bird or to meet a deceased loved one.

Learning to dream consciously really starts with attentiveness, being aware of your surroundings and your actions in daily life. And by writing down your dreams and to leave no detail behind it becomes clearer what has happened in the dream and that gives you an overall awareness. If you are aware of this reality and consciously deal with your dreams, you will find out that your dreams develop and that you become consciousin your dreams.

In my book The Sorcerer’s Dream I describe techniques by which you can achieve conscious dreaming in about 4 weeks. And to give you a fore taste: with the technique described below you build so much energy to develop a dream body by which you can travel outside known reality to the boundless second reality of dreaming and creativity. And it finally takes you to totality where will you discover and be aware that you are creating your own reality.

Finding the dream stone

With the following exercise, you make the first step to develop a dream body, the step to conscious dreaming.

Take any kind of stone and study it in detail, you need to know it inside out, every line, every dent, every outline. Then visualize the stone between your inner eye - the place between your eyebrows. Practice as long as it takes to get it in your mind and aim at finding the stone in dreaming within the next ten days. And then you start counting down the days until you find it. When you don’t find it within that time then you start all over again, until you get it right.

Before going to sleep you look at the stone in detail and place it somewhere near, close your eyes and visualize the stone on the inside of your inner eye. Then it is important to become conscious of the moment right before you fall asleep. At that specific moment you visualize the stone immediately inside your inner eye and you will find out that you get dream flashes which you can fixate or stop as an exercise in order to start mastering your dreams.

It's actually enough to have the intention to be conscious and that you will stop your dreaming before falling asleep. Attempt it. Aim to wake up consciously every morning and let your inner eye visualize the stone. Pick up the stone and move it closer from an arm's length to the tip of your nose as if the stone is coming towards you. And do not forget to repeat to yourself that you will find the stone.

Good luck - May your dreams come true!Dreamshield

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Today’s show will contain information that every single one of us will need at some point in our lives. We all must face it – death, illness… it happens to family members, friends, spouses – and ourselves. But so few of us are equipped emotionally or even have the knowledge to handle these situations. We hope to help you through this process with our very special guest – Damiano Iocovozzi – who has more than 20 years experience working at the bedside as a critical care, emergency registered nurse. He also has worked as a clinical nurse and a family nurse practitioner for many years. In 1990, he served on the California Nursing Associations’ board of biomedical ethics. * Join us for this fascinating discussion re: Hospice and Health Care by clicking on the hyper-linked show title here - or look to the sidebars on this blog for recently aired episodes. A list of archived Conscious Discussions Talk Radio broadcasts is available via our site: www.brummet.ca

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Friday, September 24, 2010

As many of our blog readers are aware, we love to feature guests on the blog. Today we have Wayne Farquhar joining us - a 28-year veteran working with the San Jose Police Department in California. He has worked through the ranks from officer to lieutenant with detective assignments in Sexual Assaults, Homicide and Internal Affairs. He has also worked undercover assignments in Child Exploitation, Child Pornography and Vice. He spent 10 years as a street cop and hostage negotiator. Wayne has worked on Federal Task Forces with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). He has appeared on national television, America’s Most Wanted on a murder investigation. BLOOD OVER BADGE is his first effort in crime-thriller fiction, and he hopes to write more books and speak to larger audiences about his experiences in law enforcement. Wayne lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area. Find Wayne at: www.BloodOverBadge.com

Q. Tell us about the workshops, lectures or events you offer.

I don’t personally offer workshops for writers; however, I’m very open about sharing my experiences and helping others capture the police element in their own stories. Participating in writing groups is important. I didn’t participate in any writing groups while writing Blood Over Badge and in hindsight, I should have! Writing groups provide support, guidance and motivation. Mostly, I enjoy speaking to writing groups, book clubs and social organizations. It’s critical to “put yourself out there.” Every one of us has something to offer to another. As an example, I met a former TV reporter at a writers’ conference. I’ve been able to help her with police details in her murder/mystery and she was a tremendous help for me while I was writing the screenplay for Blood Over Badge.

Q. What inspired you to write?

My inspiration for writing comes in several forms. I enjoy many forms of creativity: writing stories, writing music and cooking. It’s cool to create something that others enjoy. I wrote Blood Over Badge because I liked the story/twist and I really wanted to put the reader on the “inside of the crime scene tape!” Let’s face it; police work is a secretive business. And it needs to be so crimes get solved and the cases have integrity. I have to be mindful when writing because I reveal the “real police world.” At the same time, I don’t want to expose tactics that jeopardize the working street cops and detectives. The challenge is inspirational for me.

Q. How long will we wait for your next book? / What are your current projects?

I’ve completed about half of the sequel to Blood Over Badge, but I pulled off of it about 4 months ago. A film agent contacted my publisher regarding the film rights and a screenplay. So I switched gears and got to work on the screenplay. I wrote the screenplay, and then rewrote it three times. I just sent it to my editor, so I’m waiting to get it back for rewrite. It’s feels good to take a little breather and enjoy the virtual book tour gig. I plan to finish the sequel because I’m really enjoying the crazy story.

Q. Do you use any set formula when writing a book? (i.e. how you work, use an outline, general work ethic/research style…basically how you go about a new project).

There are two worlds of writers: the outliners and the non-outliners. I’m a non-outliner when writing a book. I keep a character roster nearby to remind me to include a characteristic every time the character appears in the story. I also keep a log of clues so I drop them at the right spot to keep the pace moving. I keep a log of “loose ends” so I remember to tie everything up. The story is always in my head and I create the scenes or delivery at the moment I write. The screenplay was completely different. It’s highly structured and I wrote every scene on a 3x5 card. Then I constructed the screenplay. Research is a constant for writing and I love to research and learn new things.

Q. How do you come up with ideas for your writings and why do you feel you choose some over others?

I find you don’t have to be very creative if you choose to write about crime, mystery or murder. Unfortunately, there are thousands of story ideas in the headlines every day in this country. Intriguing stories and situations automatically rise to the top. We see it on the news. The general public and media show us every day what your audience wants to read.

Q. How did you come to set your goals?

Fortunately, I’ve never struggled with setting goals and I find “success begets success.” It feels good to finish a big project, like writing a book. We’re all human, we naturally move towards pleasure and away from pain, right? Well, not everyone, I guess!

Years ago, I was looking at the daunting task of creating a homicide course. A really smart coach/instructor said “it’s like eating an elephant – you do it one spoonful at a time.” Brilliant!

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

“I was a teacher for 35 years and I did write quite a few articles for teachers magazines, and they were published… So I did write, and you know – you put things aside, and I even trashed a lot of it, but kept some of it. …Writing has always appealed to me and I don’t always feel comfortable with it – there are times where you have writer’s block and you go on to other things, … it begins with journalling, and I love it. I find that a lot of times with what I am journalling ideas for articles or blogging comes out of it. …it really has helped me come to terms not only with myself, but with my past.”

Join me today on the TJ Walker Interactive Radio Show for a 10 Min interview on the topic: Social networking/blogging and how this can be used to drive traffic to your website where you have the call-to-action Time: 12:20 (Pacific) Location:www.tjwalker.com/liveNote: There will be a live chat room available

-- Conscious Events --

The Compost Council of Canada's Annual Convention, located at the Crowne Plaza in Ottawa (ON, Canada) is concluding its events today. Info: www.compost.org

I'm just getting a big stack of books ready for our next donation installment to the Grand Forks and West Boundary Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy organization and I was reminded about an article I read recently from the Japan For Sustainability Newsletter (www.japanfs.org):

According to the article a non-profit organization known as Sodateage Net (meaning 'Education Network') launched a book donation project as a way of supporting "self-reliance and employment for young people. In cooperation with Value Books, a used book online wholesaler, donated books are sold and the proceeds assist unemployed young people." The project offers numerous programs including experienced-based job training (a.k.a. On the Job Training).

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Time Management - a funny thing, that. When you find yourself harvesting like a mad-person trying to beat the first frost (which may not happen until Oct 1, but the nights are getting too cold to take the risk). Cleaning crates of half ripe and green tomatoes, flats of peppers, heads of cabbages, bags of leeks, trays of herbs... and processing all of that... Well it is that time of year. Whew!

Here's what we've been up to: 2 huge batches of roja and pepper/tomato sauce were processed last week... and we ate far too many stuffed peppers! (burp!) ...Tuesday found us freezing nearly 40 jalopeno rilenoes for future meals, and a huge batch of pepper/sausage stew. Yesterday I made a huge batch of Italian style tomato sauce, froze a few more containers of pesto, and made a huge batch of beef/cabbage stew. Today I'll be making vegetarian lasagnas and tomorrow I'll be making a batch of eggplant gratin. (* Surewish I could afford to hire a dish-washer to take up the slack from the dishwashing machine! lol )

All those containers we've saved over the years are slowly getting used up and the freezer is starting to fill - by the end of the week I may have to can and pickle the rest of the produce. :) I've a great recipe for mixed veggie pickles from a friend and would love to try it this year. ...But time - ah, the time.

So in between the garden harvests and fall yard chores, I balance the office work and the house itself. As such, this last month has been a challenging balancing act. Knowing the hectic pace will right itself by the end of the month does ease the mind somewhat. We have so many things we've been planning to bring to you all on our website in particular that we just haven't had the time for. And that is frustrating for me - I like lots of things going on, but am not a fan of delays :) However, I do want to encourage you all to keep popping by our site - www.brummet.ca - you'll see new changes there regularly.

-- Conscious Discussions Radio --

I feel honored to announce that today on the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show we have Scott Sabin, director of the Plant With Purpose Organization. This incredible organization has done amazing work to create sustainable communities. Plant with Purpose distributes food, seed, constructs soil conservation barriers, plants trees, educates farmers and so much more.

Join us for this fascinating discussion by clicking on the hyper-linked show title above or look to the sidebars on this blog for recently aired Conscious Discussions Talk Radio episodes. Today's discussion airs live at 10 AM (pacific) and there will be a live chat room available for the listeners. The show will also be archived for those of you who cannot make the live broadcast.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

“I believe in taking full responsibility for my life on this planet. I don’t differentiate between work and play – I cannot do things that feel wrong to me and on the other hand I cannot do things that feel right all day long either. Whether that involves picking up garbage, volunteering… I believe thatwe as a species are evolving to a point where taking responsibility for our surroundings, the planet and each other is becoming an essential way of being. …Life is full of paradoxes… there is so much more to this life, it is so much more complicated than this physical form, and when we realize that it is tremendously inspiring.”

~ Mikaya Heart -July 25 2010

This quote today was taken from a Conscious Discussions talk radio show interview that aired back on July 25, 2010 titled: Proactive Conscious Living - check out the archived interview at your convenience by clicking on the show title above, or visit the links for recently aired episodes via the sidebars on this blog.

-- Brummets in the Media --

Hi everyone! I'm very happy to announce that I've just been interviewed on the Immortal Desires blog: - http://www.djashtonimmdes.blogspot.com - with DJ Ashton. She asks me many thought provoking questions about the environment and what one person can do. Drop by the interview via the link above when you have the time to check it out :)

-- Lillian's Referral Corner --

Here are today's recommended resources:

www.1sky.org - consisting of a diverse global array of individuals who campaign for clean energy solutions. They have engaged a panel of scientists and economists to help create the guide, they call 1Sky Solutions. Check out their site and see how you can get involved too.

It's getting Hot in Here - is a youth movement on global health. According to the site it was "originally created by youth leaders to allow youth to report from the International Climate Negotiations in Montreal in 2005, It’s Getting Hot in Here has since grown into a global online community with over 300 writers from countries around the world."

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

"What usually happens in the educational process is that the faculties are dulled, overloaded, stuffed and paralyzed, so that by the time that most people are mature they have lost use of many of their innate capabilities."

~ R. Buckminster Fuller

-- Conscious Events --

Today, Sept 21st, we celebrate the International Day of Peace across the planet. Such a perfect holiday to bring awareness and education on communication and life skills to ease the effects of conflict. Of course we can never avoid conflict - it is a fact of every-day life, but we do need to be able to agree to disagree peacefully.

www.un.org states that this year's theme is to reach out to youth groups, organizations, schools and others - and ask the question: "What are you doing for peace?" An interesting question for sure, and it brings home the fact that it is up to the individual to make this goal a reality.

I've listed here some interviews re Peace that you may want to check out...titles are hyper-linked so just click with the mouse to access the interviews.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

“I was taught not to sit back and wait for something to happen – but to make it happen. …Always try your best, and never – ever – give up… because somebody is always on your side. No matter how hard you think your life is, someone somewhere is rooting for you – so don’t ever give up.”

Child Health Day - (Sept 20) this day was set aside to help people recognize the importance of child health care and to raise awareness to various projects going on to bring health care to all children. Watch for activities and events at health care centers.

National Fruit Day (USA, Sept 20) - I was unable to find information on this holiday except for that during Oct Persimmons and Rhizomes are being highlighted... and that a surprising number of US citizens eat less than one fresh fruit per day! Wow! I wonder if the numbers are similar for Canada... Dave & I eat fruit every day, but not always fresh... Sometimes frozen, sometimes canned (i.e. pears), or dried (in cereals), and in our yogurt in the mornings too. In season, we'll purchase fresh fruit - like right now we have peaches, nectarines, plums.

US citizens will be celebrating Constitution Week right now - which is a time set aside for people to do good deeds and reaffirm the contents in official documents.

And one last celebration to mention: National Farm Safety and Health Week (September 19-25) recognizes the hazardous nature of the agriculture industry and promotes awareness of safety solutions. This annual event was initiated by the National Safety Council (NSC) in 1944 and proclaimed as such by each U.S. president since.There are an astounding number of farming related injuries every year, as many as 89,000 in one year.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

September is Be Kind to Editors & Writers Month ! Gotta love that! :) There are many things we can do at anytime during the month of September to honor this event. We can send an e-card or kind email expressing our gratitude for networking with others in the industry, pointing out what we appreciate about each individual we are writing to. One thing that I do often is after reading an article, poem or something written that I really enjoyed - I'll follow up on that writer's website, contact them if I can and let them know what I enjoyed about their piece. Writers love hearing from readers, even if you challenge something they've spoken about, or offer corrections, or just communicate with them about the topic - it helps them feel appreciated, respected and like they matter - which they do. The arts, including writing, have had profound impact on the growth of society - one reader at a time.

Happy Rosh Hashanah Day and Yom Kippur Day, to our Jewish readers :).

Coming up from the 19-25th of Sept we will be celebrating National Forest Week... this year's theme is "Branching Out". This fun play on words means that this year's theme will concentrate on diversity - diversity of forests, products, conservation projects and so on. Apparently this awareness holiday started way back in 1920 - as Forest Fire Prevention Week - and eventually evolved into what it is now.

- arrange a tree planting: www.treecanada.ca
- take a walk in woods nearby and get to know your forest
- care for a newly planted or neglected tree, and study its species
- identify all the things at home or school that are made of wood
- learn about organizations that demonstrate sustainable forest management
- tour a forest sector industry or processing site
- learn about the prevention of forest fires
- contact a provincial forestry association for teaching materials

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

DJ Ashton joins us today to share her experiences with writers groups and to offer advice for other writers in today's installment of the World of Writing interviews. *Find other writer interviews through the archived post index located in the side bar of this blog.

DJ is a fan of paranormal romance genres, but in her personal life she is passionate about the environment, animals and putting an end to domestic violence. During her down time, she enjoys hobbies like "cooking, crocheting, and holding the couch in place". :) She holds an Associate in Science degree in the field of Criminal Justice, and is the proud mother of three. Her writing career began about 20 years ago, and her debut release - Immortal Desires - is now available. Info @: http://djashton.webs.com

Q. Do you belong to a writers’ group?

A. Yes I do. It’s a way for me to get out of the house. I use it to get away from my writing and get new ideas. It’s a way for me to meet other writers and listen to their stories and advice for my own work.

Q.How long have you belonged to this group? (how you found them, why you joined & the process of becoming a member).

A. I’ve belonged to the group now for the last three months. I found them on the B&N summer schedule of activities. I joined them because I thought they would be good for getting advice, ideas and helping me to learn more than I know about the publishing industry. To become a member, one only needs to show up and be willing to talk and share your writing samples, ideas, and information you know that someone else may not know.

Q.Where do you meet? How often? What do you do there?

A. We meet at different B&N stores in the area. We meet every two weeks, the second and fourth Mondays of the month. We read from our work to get input and advice from each other. We listen to others’ work and tell them how we like/dislike their pieces and how we think they could improve their writing.

Q.Where do you see yourself with your writing in five years?

A. In the next five years, I hope to have an agent and be with a “regular” publishing house. By regular, I mean someone like Random House, or Harlequin. I hope to be earning a steady income from my writing. I hope to have my series completed in five years, but sometimes it takes years to write just one book, let alone several.

Q.What advice would you give for aspiring authors?

A. Don’t quit your day job unless you have a means of supporting yourself while you write. Never take a rejection personally because it’s not personal, it’s business. Write every day whether you feel like it or not. Keep paper and pen with you at all times, even when you’re out because you never know when an idea my strike you and it would be a shame to lose it because you forgot to write it down.

Q.Tell us a bit about your passions in life.

A. Writing is obviously one of them. Outside of writing, I love to go on nature walks and attune with nature. I am conscious of the environment in that we must recycle and not use unnecessary energy and even water. And I am totally in love with my children and my dog because they give me the motivation and strength I need to get up every day and do the best I can in whatever I need/want to do.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Whew! Fall is such a busy time of year. Drum-it Percussion is starting up in full swing as of Oct 1st - and we are busily getting ready for that. The Trash Talk - It's Easy Being Green series is just about to be released, and our site has been getting upgrades for about a month now. These site upgrades will continue for a couple more weeks before we get the site where we want it to be. :) ...The garden's eggplant peak harvest is nearly over; the tomatoes are coming into their peak harvest now, as well as the peppers. Seed harvesting is also going on; planting for winter crops... and the huge messy task of processing the harvests :) Well, the freezer is filling up and we're in our bliss that is for sure. And I'm proud to say the garden shed extention is finally finished. Hard work? Sure! But a pleasure just the same... we gardeners/artists are masochists of sorts I guess :)

-- Conscious Discussions Radio --

Today's Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show guest is Shelly Rachanow - join us for this light-hearted discussion about proactive, passionate living - and Being Part of the Solution. A chat room will be available for live listeners; and this discussion will be archived for those of you who cannot make the live broadcast: 10-11 AM (pacific). Click on the linked show title to find this interview, or the radio show link to find the homepage... or access the sidebars of this blog to find recently aired Conscious Discussions Talk Radio episodes.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

-- Quote of the Day --

"The future belongs to those who

Believe in the beauty

Of their dreams."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

-- We're Back --

Well, we've been back in the office all afternoon, but haven't had a chance to visit the blog until now. Great to see all the readers here! Thanks for joining us! - I'll be back in full-swing, posting daily until the next time I need to take a few days off from the office ...something everyone has to do once in a while. I'll have some fun, interesting post topics for you tomorrow :)

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

"The first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves."

~ Walter Anderson

-- Conscious Event --

Happy National Grandparents Day, everyone! This is a great excuse to do something special for those elderly persons in our lives :)

-- Conscious Discussions Radio --

We are pleased to present to you today as our very special guest: Guy McPherson - and we'll be discussing sustainable living topics from living off the grid, alternatives like rain barrels and straw bale home construction, to writing and Guy's experiences in using poetry to help troubled youth. Join us for this fascinating discussion live at 10 AM (pacific) or access the archived episode at your convenience: Sustainable Living & Volunteering With Youth

I will be taking a few days off from the office - having so much to do in the yard and garden this time of year, fall garden clean-up chores, harvests and making huge batches of tomato sauce and Drum-it Percussion is starting back up in Oct (now that Dave's arm is better)...and a book release coming up. Therefore I'll need a little extra time to get things done. I encourage our blog readers to scroll through the archived posts - especially over the last week or two - to find some fantastic resources, great topics and awesome interviews with individual heroes from across this planet. :) Please do take the time to check out the new changes to our site: www.brummet.ca - we'll be doing upgrades all month long, so keep watching for new additions :)

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

“I reside in the lower east side of Manhattan… {the city} has over 400 community gardens. …New York has what is called the Green Thumb program – I really enjoy these community gardens, how these different communities will come together in different ways and create unique gardens. …about 8 of us got together and started cleaning up a lot… What was amazing was that while we were digging it out, people would stop by and say they would like to help out – others would lend a hand by doing… funky cool fence doors… a stage in the back of the garden… or donating lumber. …If you can get in {to the lot} and prove that you are cleaning it up, you can apply for Green Thumb status.”

* What a great time to get a few gift cards together and place them in the doors of your neighbors - share how grateful you are for them as neighbors, how quiet they are, how conscious they are, how green they are, how beautiful their home is, how much you enjoy speaking with them on a summer Saturday morning... whatever it is that you want to celebrate - today is the day to do it. Perhaps a neighborhood barbecue party is in order? Or perhaps your kids would like to drop off some of your beautiful fall flowers as bouquets for the elderly in your area... Little things can make a big difference, as we all know. A small jar of homemade jam, some veggies or fruits from the garden - a thoughtful gift of muffins you've made from your kitchen. Let's celebrate each other today. Knowing your neighbors is a good thing - since if they like you, they'll look out for you, and your things!

* An International event involving more than as many as 100 countries and more than 700,000 individuals who participate in environmental clean up projects.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!

Friday, September 10, 2010

George Sherman Hudson was born and raised in Atlanta (GA, USA). After being continuously rejected by different publishers because of the subject matter contained in his books while serving time, this father of two did some research and started G Street Chronicles, (www.gstreetchronicles.com) the urban book publishing company that's ran by him with the help of his COO and fiancé Erica Jones. While George is continuously working hard to make G Street Chronicles a recognized name in the literary industry, he's also working hard on his highly anticipated REAL series, although his debut book Drama is in stores now. Mr. Hudson is here with us today to share his thoughts on the world of writing...

Q:What motivates you to write?

A:The idea of a good story is my motivation. My creative juices makes me grab my paper and pen daily.

Q: How do you spend your writing time?

I spend it plotting and trying to give readers a interesting story line. I always want my readers wanting more.

Q. What is your favorite genre of writing?

A: Urban fiction is my favorite genre. I favor it because its a genre I know a lot about and I feel an author should be familiar with his subject matter.

Q. Do you write only non-fiction? Or fiction?

A. I'm thinking about writing a non fiction piece. For now I'm going to stick with the fiction books.

Q. What keeps you writing while getting rejection letters or struggling with writer's block?

A. My first rejection letter made me work ten times harder to make it. In my mission to get signed I learned a lot about book publishing. With the knowledge I acquired and ambition to get published I decided to start my own company. Now I'm the owner of G Street Chronicles.

Q. Do you use certain tricks that help prevent you from straying from your goal?

A. No tricks I just try my best to stay focused. I stay surrounded by positive people that motivate me to be the best that I can be.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!